NCAA Bracket 2012: How St. Bonaventure Got To March Madness

Mar 11, 2012; Atlantic City, NJ, USA; St. Bonaventure Bonnies forward Andrew Nicholson (44) A10 tournament MVP and A10 Player of the Year celebrates victory over Xavier Musketeers in the finals of the 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament at Boardwalk Hall. St. Bonaventure Bonnies defeat the Xavier Musketeers 67-56. Mandatory Credit: Jim O'Connor-US PRESSWIRE

St. Bonaventure had a magical run through the Atlantic 10 tournament and earned an automatic bid to the NCAAs.

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies made an incredible run through the Atlantic 10 Tournament, beating St. Joseph's, UMass and Xavier on their way to the conference's automatic bid. The Bonnies may have stolen an at-large bid, but they're not complaining, and they are a No. 14 seed set to face the Florida St. Seminoles in the second round.

The Bonnies finished the season 20-11, but before the tournament, they really lacked a signature win. They lost to Illinois — when they were ranked and not a complete train wreck — Xavier, Temple, Saint Louis and UMass, even falling to Arkansas State early in the season.

The Bonnies are led by one of the country's best big men in Andrew Nicholson. NBA scouts will be watching him closely when he matches up with the Seminoles' Bernard James. He averaged 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds a game this year, shooting 57.7 percent from the floor. Based on his performance in the A-10 tournament, he knows how to raise his game when the stakes are high, so he will be fun to watch.

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